LARGS Cameron Centre is joining the fight against social isolation and wants to ensure dementia patients are not forgotten.

The group runs activities, events and day trips from its Lade Street centre, acting as a social hub for all residents over the age of 60.

Members are now mounting a push to ensure that locals suffering from dementia know they will also receive a warm welcome.

Chairman Norman Chinnock said: "We recently had someone come in and give a lecture to help us better understand how to help and deal with people coping with dementia.

"We have some members who are at the early stages of the disease and we want them to know we are prepared to help.

"It is a horrible thing to see, but the talks have helped explain to us how we can help and how to approach certain situations.

"There are more and more people suffering from dementia in our community than ever before and we don't want people to feel excluded from events because of it. We want them to be included as much as possible.

"Obviously day trips could be an issue - but we want people to know they are always welcome at the Cameron Centre."

A team of Largs Academy pupils is trying to help the centre provide for dementia patients and have selected them as their project for the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative to try and win £3,000 of funding for the group.

Norman added: "We are a charity, so we only get a small grant from the council and aside from that we have to try and raise funds ourselves.

"It would be great if the children were to win as we could use the funding to redevelop our outside garden area to make it more dementia-friendly.

"Our knit and knatter group has also taken on a new project to make things called twiddle muffs.

"These are knitted hand muffs designed for dementia sufferers with bits inside and outside that give people something to fiddle with.

"Someone came in with illness recently and it was incredible how much it calmed them down."

With 300 members already from the KA30 postcode, Norman says they are always keen to welcome more people through the door.

He said: "There is still a need for the service in the town and there must be people in the community who are struggling with social isolation. We want to help tackle this.

"We have lots to offer, even if people just want a cup of tea and a biscuit. We have lots of events, activities and outings to suit all tastes.

"We do raffles, show films, bingo and there is a draw every Monday, so there is always lots going on.

"Recently we have had trips to Dundee's V&A, Ireland and we have one to Wales next year."

The Cameron Centre is open from Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. For more information contact camcentrelargs@hotmail.co.uk.